Automatic clutch



Aug. 13', 1946.,

G. ANTOS ET AL AUTOMATIC CLUTCH Filed Nov. 15, 1943,

INVENTORS. GEORGE HNTOS. fMMEk/Ch' WEBER.

HTI'ORNEY.

Patented Aug. 13, 1946 AUTOMATIC CLUTCH George Antos and Emmerich Weber, New York, N. Y.

Application November 15, 1943, Serial No. 510,264

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for engaging and disengaging a constantly revolving part, as a shaft, with a normally quiescent element, as a gear wheel or the like, in order to communicate rotary motion to it, to control other mechanisms, such devices being commonly called automatic clutches.

An object of the invention is to provide a clutch mechanism that is instant and positive in operation, both for engagement and release, its strength being limited only by that of the material used in its structure.

A further feature is in the provision of both automatic and manual means for clutching and unclutching the engaging elements, all of which are of simple construction, adapted for long continued service, and not subject to casual derangement.

Another purpose is to produce a clutch in which the driven element is prevented from over-running, being held against an abutment coincidentally with its release from the driver, and automatically stopped in an identical position at each release.

These several objects are accomplished by the novel and practical construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, constituting a pictorial part of this disclosure, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment of the invention, shown with its clutch in disengaged position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the clutch members as at the beginning of their operative engagement.

Fig. 4 is a side view of modified clutch engaging members, others being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the clutch members in full engagement with a driven element.

Fig. 6 is an end View of Fig. 1 showing an adjustable automatic means to release the clutch members from engagement.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, the clutch, generally designated by the numeral I5, is shown as mounted in bearings l6 and H, carried on a base 13; in thes bearings is a shaft 19 constantly rotating in the direction of the arrows 2B, seen in Figs. 1 and 3.

A driver bar 2| is set rigidly in the shaft to protrude at one or both of its ends 22, which are bevelled and normally clear the adjacent parts of the mechanism, but may be caused to engag by raising the free end 23a of an arm 23.

A awl 24 of arcuate shape, is pivoted at 26 within a recess 28 in the hub 29 of a gear or wheel to be driven, and is under the constant pressure of a leaf spring 30, riveted within the recess, the pawl having a reduced end extension 3|, movable in an inclosed slot 27 in the hub of the gear.

The pawl 24 has, on its concave inner edge, an inreaching lug 33 adapted to be engaged by the one of ends of the bar 21, when the pawl is pressed by the spring 33, thereby causing rotation of the gear, which may be meshed with others as required in driving various mechanisms intermittently.

A pair of supports 35, fixed on the base [8, are

provided with adjustable pivot screws 33 on which the arm 23 is mounted. The end of the arm, adjacent the gear hub 29, is reduced, as at 2312, alongside of which is a leaf 39 pivoted on a pin 40 in the arm 23. The arm element 231) and leaf 39 are normally raised by springs 31 and 37a respectively, seated in recesses in the base l8, so that the outer end 43 of the arm 23b abuts against the end 3| of pawl 24, thus maintaining its lug 33 out of the path of the driver bar 2!, this bein the normal condition. When the end 23a of the arm is raised, either manually or as by the mechanism diagrammatically shown in Fig. 6, the end 43 of lever 231) will be depressed, out'of the path of the pawl 24, thus permitting the pawl, under the effect of the spring 36, to enter the path of the driver bar 2! so that the bar engages the lug 33 to carry the gear around with it until the lug is released.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the bar or pin 2| is omitted and for it is substituted a ratchet toothed star wheel 44 pinned or keyed to the shaft I9, all other elements remaining as previously described.

Should it be required to operate the clutch automatically the arm 23 may be provided at its outer end 23a with a narrow extension 46 having bevelled side edges t! and 48, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and viewed also in Fig. 6.

A slide rail 49, provided with a tenon 58, is arranged to move transversely below the extension 46, and adjustably mounted on it are dogs 5| having raised angular faces 52.

These dogs may be held in adjusted position by clamp screws 53, and their angular faces inclined in either direction; obviously, upon contact of the faces with the extension 46, the arm 23a will be tilted upward on its trunnions and the clutch elements disengaged.

In engaging the clutch elements, let it be presumed the shaft i5 is constantly rotating, carrying either the driver bar 2i or star wheel 44 with it. As shown in Fig. l, the arm element 232) has, near its outer bevelled terminal 43, a fiattened upper surface 4% seated against a camlike surface 42a in a lateral recess of the hub 29.

The extremity 43 of the arm abut the tip of the reducedend 31 of the pawl 25, thereby p os-- itively preventing the pawl lug 33 from engaging the driver bar 21, and the fiat 420: will be induced to come to rest against the flat surface 421) on the arm by reason of the pressure exerted by spring 31 thus assuring at all times, a return by the hub or casing 29 to its initial radial position.

Engagement ensues by raising the outer element 46, or adjacent part 230; of the arm, thereby tilting the opposite end 23?) downwardly, clearing the surface 421) and 52a from contact and releasing the pawl end piece 31, allowing'the pawl to move, under the urge of, the spring 32, and the pawl lug 33*to engage the driver bar 2 3, or teeth of the wheel 44, thereby transmitting rotary motion to the gear through its hub.

However, the upper flat surface of the end of leaf' 39 still maintains contact with the flat 42a to prevent rotation of the hub 29 until the pawl lug 33 hasbeen engaged by the driverbar 2|. Coincidently, the bevelled end it 'of the leaf 39 is pressed downwardly, against" the pressure of'the spring Slat, thereafter to ride on the surface of thehub 29; continuing'todo'so until the arm 23a has been shifted.

Thi can be done manually, or automatically by thedevice, shown best in Fig. (i, which, can be adjusted to suit varying conditions. This device comprises a rail 5i!" fixed cross-wisebelow the outer end 46 of the tiltable arm 23; adjustably on the rail is mounted one or more dogs 5!, or such length and inclination as may behest suit-'- ed for their purpose, as for instance the-length oftime the lever arm is raised, and" hence the number of revolutions of the gear-beforethe end 53" of the lever againenters the path of thepawl 3i. Attention is invited to the fact that stopping and starting are instantaneous, and that no possible slip or over-running can occur; furthermore, stopping is accomplished in such manner that the gear, and any connections made to it, are caused to cease rotation at one universalstcpping point, a feature seldom, if ever attainedby any known form of clutch.

While the foregoingi-g descriptive of an actual embodiment of the invention; it is to be regarded as suggestive, rather than prohibitive of other forms which the device may assume within the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and sought to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. man automatically operated clutch including a constantly rotating shaft and a member to be driven at intervals freely mounted thereon, a toothed element fixed on said shaft, a hub-like projection on said member, said projection containing a chambered recess and an indentation in its exterior, a pawl pivoted in the recess and having a part engageable with said toothed element, a spring urging the pawl into engagement, said pawl having its free end extending into the indentation, a spring-raised tiltable lever arm to intercept the pawl end when in a raised position thereby to displace the same from the toothed element, a leaf pivoted to said arm and normally spring-pressed against said hub-like projection to serve as a brake, and adjustable meansfor actuating said arm.

2. Ina clutchfor engaging a constantly rotat- ,ing. shaft with an encircling member, one or said lever into positionto maintain the pawl,

normally out of contact with said projections, said lever being tiltable to releasesaid pawl to permit it to be engaged by one of the projections,

a leaf 'pivoted to the lever to ride over the surface of said member to serve as a brake, and means to control the movement of said lever and leaf. 7

3. In, a clutch comprising a constantly rotat ing drive shaft having lateral projections and a chambered annulus therearound having a pawlpivoted therein spring urged to engage the pro ections, a pivoted lever having one end normally lying in the path of the, pawl end to restrain it from engagement with the projections and to maintain. said annulus quiescent, a leaf having a bevelled outer end to act at times as a brake on the surface of said annulus, and at other times having engagement with a flat on the annulus to restrain it from rotating after the restraining means ha been moved'from the path of the pawlend' and until the. pawl has engaged the projection, said l'ever' coincidently acting as a positive stop, a transverse rail slidably mountted below the opposite endof saidlevenand one or more dogs having angular faces adjustable on said rail to cause tilting of the lever atpredetermined points.

4. In a clutch for engaging a constantly rotating shaft with an enclircling member, one or morev alignedlateral projection on said shaft, a pawl pivoted in said member,. a spring. urging said pawl to engage the projections, said pawl having its free end extending outwardly. beyond said member; a pivoted lever, a second spring to raise said lever into position. to maintain the pawl normally out of contact with said projections, said lever being tiltable to release said pawl to permit it to be, engagedby one of the projections, and a leaf pivoted to the lever to ride over the surface of said member to servev as abrake.

GEORGE 'ANTOS. EMMERICH WEBER. 

